Steam-generator.



S. H. SHEPHERD. STEAM GENERATOR. APP IOATIbN rum) JAN. 28, 1911.

' Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

r I I Q U X r w- 5- I:

IQXI') SYDNEY HOWARD SHEPHERD, OF CRIGKLEWOOD, ENGLAND.

STEAM-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed January 28, 1911. Serial No. 605,293.

To all whom "It may concern:

Be it known that I, SYDNEY HOWARD SHEPHERD, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Cricklewood, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented Improvements in Steam-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam generators of the kind wherein heating tubes are connected to a central water and steam chamber, and it has for its object to provide an improved arrangement which not only acts in an exceedingly rapid manner to raise steam, but possesses many features of advantage in its manufacture and use compared with such generators of this kind as have heretofore been proposed.

The generator according to the present invention comprises a number of sets of horizontally disposed tube elements each set forming a continuous path, connected at one end with'the lower part of the central chamber and at the other end with the upper part of said chamber, such that water is evaporated at a part of the path which extends from the hotter to a cooler region of the heating space, the steam then returned from the cooler to the hotter region and finally passed from the hotter to the cooler region into the central chamber with, it may be, a degree of superheat which while sufiicient for practical purposes would not be excess1ve.

An important feature in the generator is that the number of inlets and outlets to the central chamber can be reduced to a minimum, thereby enabling the latter to withstand greater pressures than ordinarily, while a further advantage is derived by making the tube elements easily renewable, so that the generator can be quickly repaired or the tubes cleaned without having to remove tubes from the central chamber.

The generator is of exceedingly simple construction being composed of a number of identical straight tubes, a number of identical return connectors and a number of identical tube plates, so that the spare parts required to effect repair need not be numerous.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 a horizontal section taken at the line IIII of Fig. 1 of a generator embodying theinvention.

In this example four distinct sets 1, 2, 3, 4:

of tube elements are employed disposed with respect to a circular central chamber a so that in plan they occupy a quadrangular space. Each set of tubes comprises a lower horizontal series 6 b b or 6* extending through opposed tube plates 29, having one end 0 c c or 0 connected by a union d d d 0Z to a tube 6 e e e screwed into the lower end of the chamber a, and say three vertical series f g h, whereof the lower end of one f is connected to the opposite end of the horizontal series 6 b b or 6 The upper end of each of the vertical series f is connected to the upper end of the second vertical series 9, the lower end of the latter connected to the lower end of the third vertical series it and the upper end of the latter connected through a union j j j or 7' to an outlet tube [a 70 70 or 70 screwed into the upper part of the central chamber a at a point in a vertical line diametrically opposite to a vertical line passing through the inlet tube 6 e e or 6 at the lower part thereof. The tubes in the several sets are staggered and connected by return bends m in a known manner, arranged beyond the tube plates p so that they are not subject to the action of the heating gases. In this way any single tube can be readily removed without removing any other tube.

In event of a tube becoming defective, say, while the appliance is being used, it is not actually essential to withdraw the defective tube as the particular set of which it forms an element can be isolated from the circulation system by plugging the outlet and inlet tubes of the set adjacent to the steam chamber. This is a method which may be adopted in cases where it is not possible to draw a tube owing to the location of same in relation to the particular space required to draw it.

Although the tubes that pass through one opposed pair of tube plates [9 are arranged in alternation with tubes passing at different levels through the other opposed pair of tube plates at right angles thereto, any one tube plate may be used in any position by arranging it with an appropriate edge uppermost.

What I claim is In a steam generator, a combustion chamber casing comprising vertical tube plates disposed so that in plan they inclose a quadrangular space, a single chamber, having a water region and steam space therein, ar-

ranged within such casing, and at opposite sides of the chamber tubular conduits, connected at their respective ends to the Water region and steam space in said chamber, each tubular conduit consisting of a series of straight and substantially horizontal tubes all spaced apart horizontally and vertically Within the casing and connected by return bends external to said casing and consisting of a horizontal set and above it a group of sets occupying vertical planes that together form a path in Which fluid circulates zig-zag fashion first through said horizontal set and afterward gradually and alternately recedes from and approaches such set, the tubes of 15 the conduits that extend between one pair of opposed tube plates being disposed at a different level to the tubes of the remaining conduits so that they cross each other.

Signed at London, England, this 13th day 20 of January 1911.

SYDNEY HOWARD SHEPHERD.

Witnesses:

C. P. LInDoN, HERBERT D. J AMESON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

